6 replies to this topic

[rc6750]

This is probably a long shot, but does anybody have any leads on what this fish might be?

 

Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, Playa Blanca/mouth of the Gulf of Nicoya.

 

Found this guy in a tide pool, it clings to the side of the pool and when out of the water uses its pectoral fins to launch itself away like a frog. I have been looking at lots of fish, but I have not found what this is yet. 

 

 

 

 

thanks!

[lilyea]

Neat catch!  Whatever it is it sounds like there are some great stories around the trip!  Is it possible that it is a Panamic Frillfin (Bathygobius ramosus)?

[gerald]

Hard to see, but it looks like one long continuous dorsal fin; not two separate dorsals like a goby.  Maybe it's one of the "leaping blenny" family?

https://simbio.com/b...-fish-gotta-hop

[zooxanthellae]

Labrisomidae? Neat fish! 

[rc6750]

Thanks gerald & zoo; you guys were right!

 

It is a Foureye Rockskipper (Dialommus macrocephalus) which is a labrisomid blenny.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

Dialommus macrocephalus, the Foureye rockskipper, is a species of labrisomid blenny native to the eastern Pacific Ocean from Baja California, Mexico to Colombia. It inhabits the intertidal zone and is capable of leaving the water in search of land-dwelling prey. It feeds on invertebrates including crabs. This species can reach a length of 11 centimetres (4.3 in) TL.[2]

 

It makes so much more sense now because I actually caught three of these, but the first two bounded away before I could get a picture. They can jump far and are pretty fast. This has to be one of the coolest fish I have caught - I love that the spend some of their time out of water.

 

 

lilyea - yeah it was a great trip and I actually caught a Panamic Frillfin as well

 

[gerald]

Zoox was more righter than me.  I got the suborder (Blennioidei) but he got the correct family (Labrisomidae).  "Leaping blennies" (Alticus) are in the true blenny family, Blenniidae.

[Chasmodes]

Very cool fish.  Nice catch!